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Alumni Interview: Florence Moorman from Heineken

Thank you for making time to tell us something about your interesting history with the MAA and your experience at Heineken of course.

How did you hear of the MAA?

I did my Bachelor’s in Maastricht, but I wanted to the Master’s of Marketing in Amsterdam. During college, there was a promotional chat about the MAA and I was thinking: ‘This seems really nice!’

And then?

I applied for the Activities Committee, which is responsible for the organization of the social events of the MAA such as the annual ski trip. It was a great way to meet new people in Amsterdam. After I finished my Master’s in Marketing, I wasn’t quite sure what to do. I decided to do a board year at the MAA. I was responsible for the external affairs, a great way to learn a lot of new things. After my board year, I was part of the Lustrum Committee, and now I’m still a part of the Alumni Committee.

Has the MAA helped you finding your first job at Heineken?

Definitely! At a recruitment lunch from the MAA I talked to someone from Heineken. At first I wasn’t really interested in working at Heikenen, but my mind changed during the lunch. So I did a business course, which was quite intensive but I finished it successfully and I started as a trainee. The MAA is a really great way to develop yourself professionally but also socially.

What is a traineeship at Heineken like?

During a traineeship you have to complete 3 different assignments. My first assignment was at the trade-marketing department of Heineken. I worked on the speaker beer crate, maybe you still remember that innovation. For my second assignment I went to Surinam for 5 months and worked for Parbo beer. I returned to the Netherlands for my last assignment at the marketing department and worked on a strategy to introduce Apple Bandit Cider. All in all, 3 interesting assignments!

What did you do after your traineeship?

During my traineeship I came to the conclusion that I really like marketing and it seemed appealing to me to manage one brand all by myself. This brought me a lot freedom. I started working for Sourcy. Together with my colleagues we developed the ‘Vol Nederlands Karaketer’ TV commercial. Additionally, we introduce the new Sourcy products: water with all kind of fruit tastes.

This year, I’m responsible for Crystal Clear. This is a totally different brand, but also great to work for! We’re focusing on the online market by making use of data-driven marketing strategies. For instance, we focus on how we can reach person X with what kind of content.

What is it like to work at Heineken?

Of course, you learn a lot on a professional level. But is also really fun to work at Heineken! There a lot of social events like an annual ski trips and drinks.

Finally, do you have some tips for students looking for a first job?

It is really important to go to in house days and do for instance a business course. This gives the opportunity to get a realistic feeling of what it is like to work at a certain company.

Interested in becoming an active MAA member yourself and to join a committee? We’re hiring for the Amsterdam Marketing Event committee and the Branding committee! Application deadline is May 21st. Go to www.ma-amsterdam.nl/hiring for more information about this and other committees or to apply. Need more info? Contact Rick at secretary@ma-amsterdam.nl.